Sled



3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1945. v, H. CZEGKA sum) Filed Nov.- 2, 1943Feb. 13, 1945.

v. H. CZEGKA 2,369,283

v SLED Filed Nov. 2, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' Patented Feb. 13, 11945 7NITED FATE NT OFFICE 'asesizssf *One {of the mee s or the invention isto pro wide'a novel sie'dwhich isvery sturdy in its "con-"structionfbut; which has 'a relatively light weight. n

sleds of this nature in various ways "as willb'e hereinafter setforth. nV I In the 'drawings "Wherein *I *have illustrated a Fig. is ax erspeetiview er the "med. it Fig. 2 i an {enlarged fragmentaryfs'ide view"connected'iatfltheir ends by cross bars Each runner isformedwith'iiatuptnrned"ends 'G.

'fIhebridge elements "'4 "are ffnadeofTfiat stock and "are bent tojpresjeiit the horizontal; central Thefiat part of eachiunrier"! 'aziidi'isformed "an upstandingfrib 1*9 providedliwith recesses inwhich the"ends" in dfthe leg portions 6f the "bridge "elements -are "received.These flegpor 1ti'ons"are secured to "the runners; Tbjythdngs oriacin'gW l the'ile'gfportions'of the bridge lenients and the "upstandingrib 79 being "provided with aperture through which the thongs or"tladings canbe't'hreaded, 3

Associated 1 with each j-"ie element is a bunk member I i which servestoist'ifien' and reinforce "the bridge elements and also serves "to"provide 'ar'supportfor'the"outside'slatsas'wilFbepreseritily described.Each bunk,.member has the"'shape shownfin dotted"lines"in Fig. 3 andeach bridge element 4 is providedwith two slot 13, M in which thecorresponding bunk member H is received. These slots I3 and 48 extendthroughout the curved portions l5 of each bridge element which connectthe horizontal centraltportion to the legs 8. Each bunk is formed withthe widened end portions l6 whichoccupy the slots 13 and I4 of thecorresponding bridge element and which project slightly beyond the legportions 8 thereof.,

t The upper edgellof each bunk'iliesnnderneath to s1eds designed "for usin hanlingtl oads either 3 l the central horizontal portion of thecori'el sponding bridge 'elernentand-each bunk'is'formed 'Withanupstanding shoulder l8 "which engages the inner end 'l9of the .slot"l 4.The shoulder I8 has 'a "depth equivalent to tbe thickness "of the bridgeelement 1 andthiis thesuriacesflfl 'of bridg element. TheunderfacesZhatqthends of each bunk-rest against the lower ends '2 2f oi the slotsl3, l4. s

by inserting the left hand "end throughthe slot der '23 similar to theshoulder l8 blit situated nearer theendof'the'bunk thansaid shoulder 18.When the bunk has been assembled withits bridge member with its shoulder1cm engage-l 23 will be separated somewhat from the inner positionandwhen the"blifikiisthuslokedit 3'0 "portion =1"aiidthe"downturned'legs"8 .at the ends.

stiffens and strengthens the bridge element.

The ,deck or; the sled is'formed' 'by' usual slats 26, the central "onetofwhich"rests on the top of the slats covering thekeys 25 of "thevarious bridge elements thereby 'holdingjfsaid keys in neredgeresting'on theftopstiifface of'the bridge elements.

The cross barsl 5 at eachendl of the s1ed"have a sort of triangularcross-sectional shape, each 'cross member having 'an inclined underfaceflush withthe top of the slatstysaid slats coming against the shou1der30 between said surface 28 and 29.

- Each crosspiece is anchored to the runner by a tiebolt 3 which extendsthrough openings 32 and 33 formed in the runner and cross piecerespectively. Each runner has associated therewith a U-shaped metal clip53 which. embraces the runner and through which the bolt 3| passesinvention relates to the manner in which this gee pol-e is attached tothe sled.

The gee pole is indicated at 36 and it is located at one sideof thesled. Pivotally secured to the front end of the sled isa-pole-supporting bracket 31. This bracket is shown as formed with twoside bars 38, 39 which are pivotally connected at 4i! and 4| to brackets42 carried by the front cross bar 5. This pole-supporting bracket 31carries at its front end a hub 43 in which is mounted an eye bolt 44provided-with an eye or loop 45 through which the gee pole extends. Thebracket 37 has an angular arrangement, the leg 38 being shorter than theleg 39 so that the hub 43 stands at one side of thesled and the eye '45of the eye bolt is outside the vertical plane of the sled runner.

The lower end of the gee pole which is pointed as shown at 46 extendsinto the eye 4! of another eye bolt 48 that is anchored in the leg 8 ofthe front bridge member. With this construction the gee pole extendsforwardly and outwardly from the adjacent sled runner so that the frontend of the pole is at one side of the path of the sled runner.

enter a transverse opening with which the gas pole is provided.

As an added safety feature I propose to lash the gee pole to the hook 49and to the eye bolt as shown at in Fig. l and also to lash the gee poleto the eye bolt 44 as indicated at 52.

An advantage of this construction involving the pivotal connection ofthe bracket 31 to the sled is that the outer end of the gee pole may beswung up and down and thus placed in the most convenient position forthe person who is operating the pole. This enables the operator tomanipulate the pole while standing upright.

A sled embodying this construction is extreme- 1y sturdy and is capableof transporting heavy loads over rough surfaces.

It will be understood, of course, that the runners, bridge elements,slats, etc. will be made of wood which results in a sledof minimumweight. The manner of constructing the bridge element produces a sledwhich is extremely strong but which will, nevertheless, yield more orless when in use and will thus accommodate itself to any rough surfacewithout danger of breaking.

The slats 26 are shown as being lashed to the bunks II by lacing orthongs 63, said bunks being provided with apertures 62 for this purpose.

The ends ofthe slats are shown as being lashed to the cross pieces 5 bysuitable thongs or lacing 64.

I claim:

1. A sled comprising runners, a plurality of one-piece bridge elementsconnecting said runners and each formed of fiat stock bent to present ahorizontal central portion and a downwardly directed leg portion at eachend, means connecting said leg portions tothe runners, each bridgeelement having a slot formed in theupper end of each leg and theadjacent end of the horizontal portion, a bunk associated with eachbridge element, each bunk having its central por- J tion underlying thecentral portion of the bridge element and its end portions extendingthrough one of which engages the inner end of one of the slots and theother of which is spaced from thinner end of the other slot, .a keymemberinserted between said latter shoulder and the end of said slotthereby locking the bunk to the bridge element, a pole-supportingbracket pivotally connected to the front end of thesled and having atits forward end an eye bolt and a gee pole extending through said eyebolt and means securing the lower end of the pole to the side of thesled. r i

v 2'. A sled comprising runners bridge elements connecting .the runners,.a cross bar connecting the runners at both the front and the rear ofthe sled, a gee pole bracket pivoted to the front cross bar andextending forwardly and laterally from the sled, the front end ofsaidbracket being situated at one side of the pathof travel of the sled,a gee pole, means connecting the gee pole to the forward end of thebracket, and other means connecting'the lower end of the gee pole to theside of the sled, said g'ee pole extending forwardly and outwardly.

3. ,A sled comprising runners, bridge elements connecting the runners, across bar connecting the runners at the front of the sled, a gee pole 1bracket pivoted to the cross bar and extending forwardly and laterallytherefrom, an eye bolt carried by thefront end of the bracket, a geepole extending through the eye, bolt, a second eye bolt carried by thefront bridge element and adapted to receive the lower end of the geepole and means anchoring said lower end of the gee pole to said secondeye bolt.

4. A sled comprising runners, bridge elements connecting the runners, across bar connecting the runners at the front of the sled, a gee polebracket pivoted to the cross bar and extending forwardly and laterallytherefrom, an eye bolt the gee pole for'anchoring the gee" pole to saideye bolt.

VICTOR H. CZEGKA,-

